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While the film is of historical import as a record of the war effort in East Africa, it is also noteworthy as a Cherry Kearton production. First, Kearton’s interest in the African landscape is evident in his filming and secondly, as a film produced by a professional filmmaker, the film has clear commercial sensibilities. This is most evident in the film’s use of titles. The opening title reads ‘Midst the lairs of wild beasts. A glimpse of the German East African country, where our soldiers are accomplishing the task of ousting the Hun’. The titles serve to sensationalise the material and, in this respect, the film differs from some of the official productions, such as With the Indian Troops at the Front. The film concludes with a night drill, complete with explosions, but the titles do not clarify this, once more dramatising the sequence with a title that states ‘In the danger zone. Native patrol scouts on the alert’.

Operations of the British Expeditionary Forces in East Africa provides footage of an often-overlooked aspect of the British war effort. In its coverage of East Africa, the film illustrates the work of the ‘native troops’, showing the King’s African Rifles ‘marching through the scrub to the front’, as they walk fully armed towards the camera. It shows the Royal Fusiliers (Driscoll’s Scouts) marching at ease, and presents their preparation work, for example in constructing their camp. It illustrates the particular conditions of the area, showing the ‘difficulties of transport’ as three Africans paddle a ‘native dug-out boat’, and also shows the locals working with the Europeans. For example, when showing the heliographers at work, the camera reveals two uniformed African soldiers positioned behind a European man as he looks through his binoculars.